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History
As Gastonia celebrates its 130th birthday this year, historian and community volunteer Lucy Penegar reflects on the future of some of the city's historical buildings: I became interested in preserving buildings because ... one can actually touch history. It is a visible and tangible reminder of how we got to this point in history and how we fit into the continuum of time. If I could save one building it would be ... the Loray Mill because of what it can do for the whole west end of Gastonia. The second choice would have to be the high-rise buildings downtown. The sooner they are revitalized the sooner the perception will change about the progress that is being made downtown, even though things are happening now. It's important to preserve our history because ... there are no other histories that are exactly like ours. There are no other historic buildings exactly like ours. It's the historic downtowns that are the soul of a place that distinguish one town from another. 
The Hoyle house, just east of Dallas, is a great example. According to state archives, there is not another log structure built like this German structure in North Carolina, and only a few along the East Coast. A community grew up around it called Hoylesville with the area's first federal post office as early as 1812. I could say the same thing concerning the uniqueness of the Loray Mill and the significant labor history there. These kinds of stories with the structures intact also bring tourists! The biggest challenge facing us is ... is changing the attitude of the negative folks around us who say that “it can't happen here.” I think the future is going to be exciting with all the new technology. We need to stay “grounded” remembering how we got to this point, but we need to think and plan in a new “future” way, collaborating more and using more creative thinking. Old structures can become “smart” structures with brand new uses while reminding us of our history. |
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